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Wednesday, June 10, 2015

First Refusals....Just Let It Go!

I had a last minute audition yesterday that caught me totally off guard. Honestly my head has not been focused on my on-camera work for some time, I've had baby weight to lose, lessons to plan, a teeny-weeny baby bottom to wipe, blah, blah, blah.

So when I was requested by casting to come in, I decided not to do my usual stress thing (stress over my lines, my clothes, my hair, my teeth, my breath, you get the picture). After spending the morning rearranging the living room furniture and giving Pud' her own play area, I threw on a nice pair of jeans, a cute button down and sandals. My hair has been braided in a protective style since May. I don't have the time or energy to style my hair daily especially with a very aggressive theater rehearsal schedule on the horizon. That being said I have yet to book commercial work when my hair is in braids so... I guess America just isn't ready(that is another post altogether). So I just pinned my braids back, added light make-up, lip gloss, and small earrings and headed for the babysitters. No fuss, no muss. Mercifully I got the baby dropped off, made it through Atlanta's mad rush hour traffic and arrived on-time.

Notice a few things here, I decided not to do my usual stress thing, no fuss, no muss, I was clean, simple and on-time. I was ready to just go in, have a good time and then get my standard post-audition Arnold Palmer from Chic-fil-A (cuz it's so good). Seriously though, I've got to stop using food as a reward. On a side note: I had this same philosophy for a recent musical theatre audition and to my surprise I booked it. So I think I'm on to something. Be prepared, be clean, be on-time and then just LET IT GO!

So today I when I got the news that I was on first refusal I just thought that's great, ummm whose going to watch the baby, and then I went back to getting Pud' ready for nite-nite which has been really hard lately (teething, sleep regression, who knows). So here's hoping I book it, but if i don't I've learned/reinforced some pretty great lessons.

So what is first refusal anyway?
Also called Avail or Sticking a pin in you, it simply means that casting has narrowed down their long list of talent to a short one. Their first choice and 2 or more backups. They want to keep you available for the shoot date, to make sure they have talent if their first choice is not available, or not exactly what the client wants, or the moon is in retrograde. Bottom line it is not a booking. So YaY! you got feedback from casting, they liked you, but Boo! your ability to book is now based on several factors that are out of your control.

I'm not that eloquent so here is a better description.

http://thenycactor.tumblr.com/post/1424569784/learn-to-ignore-first-refusals
So say a little book that thing prayer for me and I'll keep you posted!